Week 19 - AMS Rome : Andy Murray v Gilles Simon

Sheddie · administrator

Week 19 - AMS Rome : Andy Murray v Gilles Simon

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving:

0-15: Poor fh from M, into middle of the net

0-30: Simon bh return dtl winner, right on the baseline

0-40: double fault, it's all going downhill v fast....crazy service action from M there

ah....he broke his string on that serve that's why it went out, change of racket

15-40: S nets fh from way behind baseline

30-40: long rally, in the end S goes wide, going for a fh winner c-c

Game Simon: another long rally ending with M uncharacteristically netting a bh slice

1-6, 6-1, 0-4

Salmon · Tennis legend

0-4.

Comeback time.

Sheddie · administrator

Simon serving:

15-0: big serve down the T, S smashes away short return

15-15: sends fh long

30-15: big serve out wide, S follows fh into the net....Andy puts up defensive lob but it floats wide

30-30: S goes wide with a bh

30-40: S nets routine fh, maybe a lifeline here

Game Murray: and there it is...S nets another bh

1-6, 6-1, *1-4

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

first game on the board for this set, hopefully he can hold serve this time

timmoore46 · Admin:moderator + Club Coach

Terrible! Only just spotted it's restarted...........

Where is he playing next week? This one is NOT looking good !

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Playing in Hamburg Masters next week.

2-4 now, not quite over...show us why your top10 Andy

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving:

15-0: S nets fh

30-0: M draws S into the net and then passes him with a low, dipping fh

30-15: same thing but M nets pass

30-30: S powers a fh winner dtl

40-30: Long rally, Murray hits the lines with two big forehands, S scrambles to get both but M puts away a smash

deuce: great serve from M, took the pace right off and just placed it out wide,

Ad M: M works S cross-court, finishes with a wrong-footing drop shot

Game: Murray works S all over the court, draws him up the court then powers a bh dtl...S manages to get both but goes long

1-6, 6-1, 2-4

Simon serving:

15-0: big fh into corner from S, he attacks the net, M goes for fh c-c pass but unusually nets

30-0: M return into net

30-15: Amazing rally, S totally dominates....pushes M far behind the baseline and attacks the net behind a powerful bh into the corner....brilliant sliced lob from M, drops just it....S runs back but M is at the net and plays an angled volley winner

40-15: big serve, short return, S powers bh winner c-c

Game: big serve, short return, S drop shot, M just gets there but S has an easy passing shot

1-6, 6-1, 2-5

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving:

0-15: overcooks a bh dtl, flies well long

15-15: M pushes S behind the baseline, plays drop shot (good strategy on these low bouncing courts)

30-15: same thing but S reads it well this time, gets there in plenty of time but sends bh just long...big let off

40-15: S nets bh return

40-30: double fault

Game: Another netted bh return

1-6, 6-1, 3-5

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

hope Andy can start winning in Hamburg.

Sheddie · administrator

Simon serving:

15-0

30-0: big serve out wide, easy volley into open court

30-15: M gets so, so v lucky...S dominates the point but blasts his smash well long

30-30: S attacks the net, M dips fh low, S plays drop volley, M gets there and S goes for angled volley c-c but M stretches and punches it away

30-40: M punches bh return dtl, attacks net and puts away easy volley

deuce: big serve out wide, S thumps away fh volley

ad S: limp bh slice into the net

GSM Simon: M goes long with a bh

Simon wins 6-1, 1-6, 6-3

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Double damn.

That rain delay really hurt him, he had just got the momentum then had to start all over again and made a mug of it.

Ah well, on to Hamburg.

Sheddie · administrator

Simon was the better player today...he was more aggressive, I can't remember many clean winners which Andy hit....Simon was willing to go for his shots into the corners and follow them into the net while Andy played fairly passively at times....when he was aggressive - 2nd set and latter half of the 3rd it paid dividends but he left it too little too late to get going in the 3rd....if he'd started the set playing like he did at the end of it...he would have won

It was almost as if Andy was a bit complacent at times today, he only really got going when things reached crisis point !

Salmon · Tennis legend

Clay is for making pots.

Sheddie · administrator

this shows that Andy has a long, long way to go yet on the clay....he has the weapons to do well on it and I'm certain that he has some big, big runs in the French Open to come in future years...difficult to say quite how far he could go when you consider that someone like Nalbandian has only made semis once and never been further than that ! However, I doubt he'll go past the last 16 this year unless the draw opens up

He's using the drop shot a lot more sparingly this year (compared to previous years when it was his no 1 tactic on clay) and it's much more effective, caught Simon out several times. Needs to attack the net more though and maybe hit less bh slices...he still hits a lot of those short and in mid-court, better players than Simon will exploit that...he has the double-handed backhand with which he can really hit players off the court, even Nadal...I wish he'd use it more often

hoping for a decent draw in Hamburg